Deep Creek Lake MD News and Local Resources: Daily Notes

December 6, 2022: Today is Saint Nicholas Day or also known as the Feast Of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century Bishop and one the most notable saints. He became known and adored for his giving nature rewarding the “good” people which is how Santa Claus was inspired. Not much is known about Saint Nicholas but it is believed he died on December 6 which is how the celebration of his life began.

The weather today will be cloudy. A chance of rain in the morning, then rain likely in the afternoon—highs around 50 and a low of 44. Southeast winds of around 5 mph. The chance of rain is 70%.

Research carried out by the experts at NiceRx, reveals the top 10 safest states in the US, and Maryland is the 10th safest state in the US.

With the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) anticipating increased numbers of influenza this year across the country, Garrett Regional Medical Center’s environmental services department is gearing up for the upcoming flu and cold season.

Did you see that McHenry Beverage has a hand-selected EXCLUSIVE barrel of Sagamore Spirits Rye Whiskey? If you try it, I’d really love to hear what you think.

Wisp Resort will be hosting the December Business After Hours event on Thursday, December 8, 2022, from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM. Click here to register and attend to learn all about Wisp’s season plans.

Wear your favorite pajamas and join Oakland Library today for Christmas stories, crafts, and fun. Activities provided by the Garrett County Judy Center.

Get some exercise and shed some stress today by joining Ranger Noah on this challenging 4-mile hike on New Germany’s trails.

Relax with your fellow book lovers at the Accident Branch Library today as they share their latest reads. You just may discover a new favorite author!

Join Oakland Library today and develop your public speaking skills together with others with fun games and activities each month to build your confidence – teens and adults welcome!

Good Monday morning to you! How was your weekend? I had a great weekend kicking off with A Great Small Town Christmas on Friday Night! Then, we held a Global Fat Tire Bike Day event. This was an event celebrated across the world to talk skills, make friends, and get outside to ride! Fat tire bikes are bikes that have large tires designed for riding in the snow (which we usually get a lot of here in Garrett County)! We had a surprise guest and the Big Man himself rode with us for a bit!

On Saturday, my family went to Nemacolin to enjoy the Christmas displays and an Olympic ice skater performance. The kids (my nieces and nephews: 4, 4, 2, and 6 months) loved the lights!

The weather today will be mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-40s and a low of 33. South winds of around 5 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the afternoon.

A new report by Smartest Dollar on state-to-state exports found that Maryland ships approximately $156.4 billion in goods to other states every year, accounting for 1.1% of the country’s total.

Garrett County Public Schools will dismiss students three (3) hours early tomorrow, Tuesday, December 6, 2022, for Staff Development in the afternoon.

Support Toys For Tots by dropping off an unwrapped toy at The Greene Turtle Deep Creek donation box! ????????For every toy donated, sign up for one chance to win a $25 Gift Card! ????

It’s December Deals! Save on some of the most popular party trays all month long at Arrowhead Market! Also… It’s Pizza Monday at Brenda’s!! Check out the deals for dine-in or carry-out – all day!

The November Joan Crawford Lecture Series event, Reading the Bones, initially postponed due to inclement weather, has been rescheduled for today at 6:00 PM. in the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College’s recital hall.

Bear Creek Traders has tons of toys your youngsters will love this holiday season. Bring your little one to take a fun pic with their ‘Old Tyme’ Santa Claus.

December 2, 2022: I cannot believe it’s already December 2! Is anyone else feeling like the time is flying by? I love the holiday season and these first two weekends of December have so many events scheduled. Especially if you’re looking for opportunities to see the big man himself, there are so many chances to get your photo with Santa; all the way across the county! I saw he will be in Oakland, Grantsville, Bittinger, Accident, Friendsville, McHenry, and Swanton this weekend …. Santa and his helpers must be making it a little vacation here at the lake before the truly busy season!

On a more somber note, tonight’s tree lighting in the town of Oakland will be dedicated to honoring the late Mary Sincell McEwen and her contributions to the town she loved so much. The walking parade will begin at 5:30 PM from the town parking lot and the tree will be lit in front of the B&O Museum at 6 PM as part of the Great Small Town Christmas Celebration.

The weather today will be sunny—highs in the upper 40s and a low of 36. South winds of around 5 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. Saturday will likely be rain in the morning, then partly sunny with a chance of rain in the afternoon—highs in the lower 50s and a low of 22. Temperature falling into the lower 40s in the afternoon. West winds of around 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph. The chance of rain is 70%. Sunday will mostly be sunny—highs in the upper 30s. The chance of rain is 5%.

The annual 12 Days of Christmas Deals! Starting December 1, look for a new deal each day that Cashmere Clothing is open (not open Mondays or Tuesdays), and get ready to cross everyone off that list!

Join Dutch’s at Silver Tree downstairs at the Inner Harbor Bar for Tito’s Ugly Sweater Party tonight at 6:00 PM. ????????

Join the Winter Festival of FUN, food, shopping, and SANTA ????Visit Yough Glades Elementary tonight from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

Watch the Eric Byrd Trio – Charlie Brown Live performing tonight at 7:30 PM!

Visit Herrington Manor State Park’s on Saturday, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, for hot chocolate, cookies, crafts, and a visit with Santa at this annual Holiday Open House! On the heels of the open house, I’m planning Global Fat Bike Day 2022! A worldwide event and an informal opportunity to meet new friends and play on bikes! (the park has bikes for rent if you need a fat bike!)

Join Deep Creek Pottery on Saturday for a festive Holiday Open House with our special guest artist Connie Pardini of Wirestorm Creations! Hey, kids and adults! Let’s create a keepsake clay coil holiday tree on Sunday! We will roll coils and add decorations to your tree! This is a 2-part class! Come back on December 10 (or by appointment) to glaze it! It will be ready in 2 weeks. Makes a great holiday gift!

Join Howlidays Open House every Saturday after Thanksgiving through the holidays from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

The Town of Davis & The Davis P & R Commission will be having a “Christmas in the Mountains” event on Saturday. There will be lots of activities planned for all ages! Please join them as we kick off the Christmas Season here in the Mountains.

The Garrett Community Concert Band will present their annual holiday concert, “Yuletide Through the Ages,” on Sunday at 2:30 PM. The program offers a variety of styles with pieces composed throughout the ages and originating from multiple nations.

Join the community Christmas party on Sunday from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Refreshments will be served all evening, and Santa will be visiting at 7:00 PM. Bring the whole family out for a fun evening at Bittinger Volunteer Fire Department.

Aside from these holiday activities, check the entertainment calendar this weekend!

December 1, 2022: Welcome, December! AKA the beginning of meteorological winter. Meteorological winter is a way for the weather folks to more easily compare weather events year over year. The dates of December 1 to February 28 (or 29) were selected based on the annual temperature cycle and climatological patterns observed on Earth.

Note this is different from the astronomical winter which is based on the position of Earth in relation to the sun. Since people have used observable natural phenomena to mark time for thousands of years, that’s where the December 21 “beginning of winter” date was established. The Earth’s rotation around the sun and its tilt on its axis forms the basis for the astronomical calendar thus “officially” defining seasons with two solstices and two equinoxes. Didn’t know you were in for a science lesson this morning, huh? 🙂

The weather today will be sunny, blustery, and cooler, with highs in the lower 30s. West winds of around 15 to 25mph. Gusts up to 45 mph, decreasing to 35 mph in the afternoon. The chance of rain is 10%.

The Maryland Historical Trust is hosting a webinar today from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM for prospective applicants of the Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program. REGISTER HERE.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Join the Christmas at Calvary Christian Academy for “The Incredible, Gigantic, Humongous VeggieTales Christmas Show!” and pulled pork dinner today. The show begins at 6:00 PM.

There will be an Open Mic hosted by Kim Alexander at MoonShadow tonight at 6:00 PM.

November 30, 2022: As I take a moment to reflect on the last day of November, I feel as though it’s we’ve had a pretty good month overall. Typically, this time of year is known as the off-season (or the mud season to locals) since it can be cold and wet and winter hasn’t officially started. But, that’s not the case for us this year! Wisp Resort is already open for the ski and snowboard season with the tubing park also open! Also, have you heard, there is a new ice skating rink in the town of Grantsville this year? They’re open daily and the reservations are affordable.

The weather today will be rainy, with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning, then rain showers in the afternoon. Breezy, with highs in the lower 50s and a low of 20. Temperature falling into the mid-30s in the afternoon. South winds of around 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, becoming west 20 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph in the afternoon. The chance of rain is near 100%.

The Maryland Attorney General warns residents of scams related to home warranty letters.

Hover over your state to see the most popular Christmas candy. The Maryland candy sure does fit me! It’s my go-to favorite!!

Check out the December Specials from Bear Creek Traders! Also, check Bear Creek out in our holiday gift guide: they have tons of interactive displays for the kids!

Garrett Regional Medical Center will be offering wellness blood screenings for community members today from 6:00 AM until 9:00 AM in Oakland by appointment only.

Join the Master Naturalist program at Deep Creek Lake State Park every Wednesday from 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM until December 14.

Speaking of Wisp, jump into a job you’ll love! Wisp Resort is looking for motivated, enthusiastic, team-oriented candidates to add to the team this winter. Attend the job fair today from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM or apply anytime at wispresort.com. I worked at the Wisp as one of my first jobs — I’ll tell you the story about being a ski instructor for little-littles one day!

Join Oakland Library today for a storytime designed for children ages 3 and up. This program promotes creative expression, social skills, listening comprehension, and school readiness through stories, STEM activities, games, music, and crafts.

Monday, November 28:

The weather today will be cloudy. Rain showers are likely mainly in the morning. Cooler with highs in the upper 30s and a low of 31. Northwest winds of around 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph. The chance of rain is 70%.

It’s Cyber Monday but you can still shop local and support small businesses today!

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) reminds all customers that just two days remain in the Customer Assistance Plan that offers a civil penalty waiver grace period for Video Tolls.

Cashmere Clothing’s Cyber Monday deals are active now through Tuesday at midnight. Head over to CashmereClothingCo.net and see if there’s anything that catches your eye. Also, join them on December 11 for a themed Christmas Tea based off the book – A Cup of Christmas Tea. Grab your ticket early. The teas sell out fast!

Children are invited to join Ruth Enlow Library’s program today.

Join the Town of Oakland for A Great Small Town Christmas this weekend on December 2 and 3, 2022. They have many free and family-friendly activities in downtown Oakland while you work on your Christmas shopping with handcrafted and curated gifts.

The Oakland B&O Museum will be part of a Great Small Town Christmas this year on Saturday, December 10, and Saturday, December 17, from 5:30 PM -7:30 PM in the Oakland A&E District. There is limited space for this event. Please call Nicole McCullough at 301-334-2691 to make a reservation. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.

The House of Hope Food Drive is celebrating its 44th year! The annual drive will take place on Saturday, December 10, from 9:00 AM-noon. To contribute to this worthy cause, bring your cash donations to Second Street in downtown Oakland. The House of Hope prefers cash donations; however, it will accept non-perishable food items as well.

The weather today will likely be rain, with highs in the lower 40s and a low of 27. West winds of around 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph. The chance of rain is 70%. Saturday will be sunny, with highs in the upper 40s and a low of 35. West winds of around 5 to 10 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. Sunday will be showers, with highs in the mid-50s and a low of 37. The chance of rain is near 100%.

‘Tis the season for winter weather to impact school schedules — here is some important information on winter operations for the 2022-2023 school year.

While the holidays are typically a time of joy, nearly a quarter of Americans have trouble enjoying gatherings because they are so focused on their weight according to this study.

For the fourth consecutive year, Garrett Regional Medical Center has received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group. This national distinction celebrates GRMC’s achievements in protecting hospital patients from preventable errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

The Play Hard, Live Clean (PHLC) healthy lifestyle campaign is designed to encourage youth to make good choices by recognizing and rewarding them for certain positive lifestyle accomplishments from kindergarten through graduation. Also, four high school students were recently hired to act as Influencers, using their peer influence to spread awareness about PHLC and the important topics addressed by the campaign.

Are you interested in making repairs or improvements to a historic property? The Maryland Historical Trust is hosting two webinars, two Q&A sessions, and two in-person workshops in December, January, and February for prospective applicants of the Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program.

Today is the opening day for the 2022-23 Ski Season at Wisp Resort! The snowmaking and grooming teams are working round-the-clock to deliver an awesome opening of the winter season. It’s the perfect time to buy your Mission: Four’dable Quad Pack for just $259.

A Christmas Light Show featuring some of the best music of all time! Starting today until January 1, every 30 minutes from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM, at the Oakland Community Center.

MoonShadow will be celebrating Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage on November 25 & 26 with a wonderful, traditional and indigenous dinner.

Join Garrett County on November 25-26 for a holiday kick-off event, the Festival of Trees! This year’s theme is “Old Fashioned Christmas.”

Want to get away as far away from the busy stores? Meet at 1:00 PM, in front of the Discovery Center, for a 3-4-mile hike on the lookout trail.

Join Howlidays Open House every Saturday after Thanksgiving through the holidays from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Shop Local on Small Business Saturday! Christmas will be on display, as well as many other unique items and home decor. The team at Shabby Patina looks forward to seeing everyone to begin celebrating the holiday season!

Enjoy the holiday with some music around the town! Check the entertainment calendar for the complete schedule.

The 2022 Deep Creek Times Holiday Gift Guide is here!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

The weather today will be mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-50s and a low of 37. South winds of around 5 mph.

Several Sheetz gas stations are dropping the price of Unleaded 88 to $1.99 through next Monday, Nov. 28.

You have a few great options to Celebrate Thanksgiving today:

★ Penn Alps Restaurant & Craft Shop

★ Dutch’s At Silver Tree

★ Arrowhead Market

★ Old Trails Inn Sports Grill (meals by donation only)

Tomorrow, Friday, plan to attend the Festival of Trees event! Community members and organizations create and donate Christmas trees and decorations and then they’re auctioned off to benefit the Dove Center. I’ve been seeing “sneak peeks” and it looks really great! I saw a history tree and a robot tree so far!

Our 2022 Deep Creek Lake Holiday Gift Guide is published!

The weather today will be sunny—highs in the upper 40s and a low of 27. West winds of around 5 mph.

GCPS is beginning to investigate the grade band alignment on the Northern end of the county.

Wednesday, November 23, 2022, will be a three-hour early dismissal for GCPS students. Also, schools and offices are closed Thursday-Monday, November 24-28th, 2022, in observance of Thanksgiving. The regular operating schedule is set to resume Tuesday, November 29th, 2022.

Talking Turkey: According to a study, Marylanders are only prepared to travel 62 miles to visit family this Thanksgiving due to high gas prices.

The Garrett County Health Department has rescheduled the Parent Rally November 29th at 6:00 PM in the Northern High School cafeteria. Lieutenant Michael Sigmund from the Maryland State Police (MSP), Joe Dugan from MSP Internet Crimes Against Children, and DFC Jenna Wilt, School Resource Officer from the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office, will be briefing parents, guardians, and any other interested adults on the most common trends among our youth.

Do you have what it takes to be a steward of the natural world? Do you complain when you get bug bites? Do you scream “Yay!” or “AHH!” when you see a snake outside? Regardless of your answers, this program is for you! Master Naturalist Program is scheduled today at Deep Creek Lake State Park. Every Wednesday until December 14.

Check here some programs for children from Oakland and Kitzmiller Library today. Also, kindly note that all Ruth Enlow Library Branches will be closed at 5:30 PM for Thanksgiving Eve.

Appalachian Blues-Scott Brooks will be bringing his signature blend of blues to the MoonShadow stage tonight at 7:00 PM.

The weather today will be sunny—highs in the mid-40s and a low of 27. Southwest winds of around 5 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph.

Did you see the HUGE news?! Wisp Resort has announced its grand opening for the 2022 / 2023 season: This Friday, November 25, at 9am! Don’t forget about the quad pack of lift tickets available!

Garrett County Public Schools and the State Department of Health offer guidance to protect you and your family from respiratory illnesses.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has a few important suggestions that homeowners should follow before hiring a contractor to trim or remove trees.

Here’s an insider tip: We’re compiling a Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake Area Holiday Gift Guide! Just wait ’til you see the LOCAL deals!

According to one study on national retailers, JCPenney, Belk and Macy’s are 2022’s Best Places to Shop on Black Friday, offering an average discount of at least 53%.

Check out Arrowhead’s Daily Specials for this week!

A lot of programs for children are happening today at Ruth Enlow Library.

The Board of County Commissioners will have its public meeting today. The meeting will also be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/garrettcountygovernment/.

The weather today will be cloudy. Numerous snow showers in the morning. Additional snow accumulation up to 1 inch, with highs in the upper 20s and a low of 21. West winds of around 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 35 mph. The chance of snow is 70%.

We’re starting the snow totals: This morning there was 1.25″ on our station.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that the two-week firearms hunting season for sika and white-tailed deer opens on November 26 and runs through December 10, 2022. The two-week season includes Sunday hunting in all but three counties, affording hunters more weekend opportunities to hunt and to contribute to managing Maryland’s deer population.

Kickstart your holiday shopping while supporting some great, women-owned businesses and have conversation with AAUW! Definitely check out in-store specials and exclusives from Cashmere Clothing Co.!

Enjoy going with Percy on his quest to battle monsters, navigate the world of Greek gods, and solve the question- Who is the lightning thief? The Northern High School  Thespian Society presents: “The Lightning Thief” – The Percy Jackson Musical on November 17-19, 2022, at 7:00 PM in the New Performing Arts Center at Garrett College.